


Gone

by Malice



Category: The Avengers, Thor - Fandom
Genre: SWATH song
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-29
Updated: 2012-06-29
Packaged: 2017-11-08 20:20:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/447139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Malice/pseuds/Malice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nine steps till the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gone

He took a shuddering breath as he moved forward, turning his form away from the destruction that rested at his feet. The smell of blood hung heavy in the air behind him. Even now the ground shuddered with the last moments of the beast behind him. It was done and all the Realms were safe once more. Thor took in another breath with great struggle. Each movement stung his senses and caused him to softly shake with effort. 

His arms felt ever so heavy. In a moment he dropped a great sword, what had once been his father’s so many years ago. He had not wished to use it. He did not wish to grapple with fate. But that was the nature with fate, was it not? One could run forever and never escape. It was far more wise to accept the truth with open arms and embrace what was to come. That did not mean he was welcoming this with an open heart…Even he had wrestled with fear many times over his long life.

He coughed, leaning forward as scarlet poured from his lips. At another time as in his youth, he would have laughed. The flavor was sour in his mouth, tainted, twisted. He did not like it, but there was naught any thing that could wash it from his mouth. There was only blood, and it was pooling at his feet this very moment. He paused in his movements, longing to move forward. Was it by some mystical means that drove him to step forward? Or was it really his time… He could not yet decide what was the truth at the moment. His mind was slowly growing fuzzy.

Shapes, once sharp and clear were slowly starting to blur together. Colors ran into one another, meshing and twisting like slowly spinning galaxies. Buildings slowly twisted into blue and steel towers that faded into the distance. As he peered at his feet the scarlet washed over his boots. So much blood… Thor inhaled sharply, feeling a fire blossoming within his lungs from the warm air. 

Two…

He laughed, with weary relief. Behind him rested the corpse of the mighty serpent. It’s jaw broken and hanging slack upon the earth in a silent cry. Eyes that had once given fierce and terrible gazes had already started to cloud. There were many a wound along its form. As it’s forked tongue spread over it’s fangs there were several teeth missing from it’s maw. Scattered over the battle field were armor from both warriors. The serpent had tried to convince him to stop and give pause, to not fulfill his duty. A fools errand.

The Almighty Thor, swayed by a simple tongue of an actual snake? Never. He laughed harder until it burned his chest. Reaching up he tried to tear off a disk of his armor. He quickly felt flush with heat. It was if a small star had decided to run itself through his veins. It could have only been from the venom…He looked to his armor once more, searching for wounds he knew he possessed. His sight did not fail him yet, for it were only objects in the distance that he had trouble laying his eyes upon. 

Gashes by the dozens lined his frame. Some were deeper than others. Many had only cut and tore at his armor. If his armor had given at any earlier point in time….

Three…

Heat ran through him and parts of his armor along his arm started to fall away like liquid silver rain. He could feel his legs moving without much instruction, but every twitch of dying muscle seemed so slow. He looked towards the distance as he tried to remove himself from the barren and blackened earth. The serpent had swept away much life with it’s great tail. He could make out the twisted shapes of ancient tree roots, bone white against the rich brown earth.

Thor tossed the disk aside and inspected one of the wounds. The puncture was deep, it pulsed with a life of it’s own. Had he known better he would have sworn it was still pouring it’s venom into him. He could see the rich ivory of the fang as he slowly tore it from his body with a cry of pain. With quick breaths he looked at the the item that was so slick within his palm. The god smiled, as if greeting an old friend. His memory slowly spinning into the backs of his eyes as the fang dropped to the earth. 

Four…Five  
Stumbling he caught himself and steadied his form upright once more. A hand went to grip one of his bleeding wounds as his gaze lifted to the distance. He swore he heard thunder, strange…He had not raise his hammer. Blinking he rubbed his eyes, smearing blood over his face as he looked upon the crest of the hill. 

There were so many souls along it’s edge. He could feel their gaze as they looked down towards him and the fallen beast. There were cries in the air, some of rejoice, others of shock. There were some voices he knew quite well and Thor was very fond of their tones. He wanted to move closer. He wanted to express his joy that the deed was done. There would be peace and safety for all. Pride still lived within his heart, even in the wake of death.

He heard calls, no…that was his name. Yes, his name was Thor. He smiled and reached up slowly in greeting, bloodied palm to the sky. Form slipped down the embankment towards him and he moved to meet his fellows in arms. That voice…It was one of his sons. Yes, Magni…He had been such a joy to his life when he was born. Thor walked forward with slow and shaky steps.

Six, Seven….Eight  
Distress climbed through the air. It didn’t register with him though. His family was here. He would have been concerned. Why were some of them here? The image of his son slowly came into focus as Magni ran towards. Thor suddenly felt very tired with those last steps. He dropped Mjolnir to the ground, unable to carry it any longer. It had never been heavy to him before. Thor looked up, blue eyes finding the form of Magni running towards him.

He thought he saw glimmering gold in the distance. Had Loki arrived here? Thor scrunched his eyes as he tried to make out other figures in the distance. How many of his kin where here? He could tell that they were here for battle, but he had beaten them to it. Thor inhaled carefully, feeling blood pool in his lungs and try and drown him. 

His thoughts turned to his children as Mani came closer. They boy was in a hurry. He had tried so hard to teach him patience. He had seen far too much of his poor qualities in that boy at first. Images of his wife and the rest of his children came to mind. Many had grown in age. They would be safe and well taken care of still - even if he was not there to watch over them. His only regret was that he did not tell his youngest daughter more about her namesake. Some one would, as she gazed over the blanket of brilliant small flowers, who’s name she had been christened with. 

Even though they drew closer he felt himself falling further from them. He did not care for it and moved to shorten the space between them. Thor reached out to his son, leaning forward as he took a step.  
…Nine.

Magni had caught the form of his father as he fell to the ground. For a moment there was silence, and he gripped Thor’s face, trying to gaze into those old blue eyes. His father’s helm had fallen away, and blood splattered and coated much of his white and silver hair. Magni swore he saw Thor’s lips twitch in a smile of recognition, but he made no move to speak. The young man couldn’t bring himself to speak, even as he heard the last breath escape the God of Thunder. 

 

 

Not even the glimmering of the golden halls could lift the spirits of Magni and his family. Asgard had become quite a somber place in the days that followed. A hush blanketed the dining halls at all hours, and only the soft echos of cries could be heard in personal chambers. 

Magni had taken it upon himself to prepare everything. There was still so much to be done. Who would step forward to rule Asgard now? The weight of this rested heavily upon his heart as he calmly sat beside his father. Blood blanketed his hands as he had tended to the edges of his father’s wounds with great reverence. 

He spent countless hours by his father’s side when he was not working with other arrangements. He wrung the bloodied cloth for the hundredth time. He knew of the whispers others had spilled; he was wasting his time and energy. Already a great pyre had been built for Thor, but Magni had been delaying the ceremony.   
In time though, it would be done. He let out a breath and leaned against the table where his father lay in silent repose. Head bowed he clasped the table with trembling hands. 

Magni's voice rung out slow at first. Deep notes escaped him as he quietly sung a melody. The song was something he had heard many times before; his father had sung it to him when he was just a babe. Thor had used the low notes to soothe the wailing Magni and it worked to put him to rest all so many years ago. 

It only seemed fitting…He would soon be putting his father to rest.

“Dark the stars and dark the moon.  
Hush the night and the morning loon.  
Tell the horses and beat on your drum:  
Gone their master, gone their sun.”

Tears fell from his eyes and landed upon Thor’s beard. Magni reached up and quietly wiped the liquid sorrow from his father’s face.

“Dark the oceans, dark the sky.  
Hush the whales and the ocean tide.  
Tell the salt marsh and beat on your drum:  
Gone their master, gone their sun.”

Magni pulled himself away from the table, voice breaking and walked the room a few paces. He grabbed Mjolnir from beside the table and headed towards the door. It would be a brilliant ceremony, but needed to hold his composure for a few hours longer. The young god still had to get his youngest siblings ready as well. There was so much to do…Already he wished advice from his father…

“Dark to light and light to dark”  
Magni walked towards the door as the hammer weighed heavy in his hands. He turned back as his hand rested upon the door for a moment longer. The last lines of what he knew shook free from his throat as he looked upon his father for the last time.  
“Gone our brother, gone our heart.”


End file.
